What to Do When You Are Dead
by BonesxBreak
Summary: Chapter 1: Mami always dies. At different times, in different ways, but always for the same reason. Even she can get a little hostile. Chapter 2: Different but the same. The New Universe is a scary, lonely place for someone from somewhere else.
1. Remember to Feel Real

**1**

Mami felt like a third wheel around these two, even in her own apartment. From the moment they'd rescued her, this new girl seemed to make a point of asking questions the instant they popped into her head.

"So, Kaname-san... you're fighting things like that all the time?"

Maybe what annoyed her wasn't really the questions - she couldn't really blame Akemi for wanting answers - so much as who she'd been asking.

Madoka, at least, was obviously uncomfortable, and kept trying to redirect the conversation to include her Senior.

"Not really _all_ the time... Mami is the Veteran. I just made the contract with Kyubey last week..."

"But in today's fight, you were much better than earlier, Kaname-san!"

Completely ignoring Mami, Homura continued with her impromptu interview.

"Is it okay? I mean... aren't you scared?"

_What a question...!_ Madoka nearly shook her head in disbelief.

_Well... it isn't like we can expect her to understand right away..._

"Uh, it's never really okay, and of course I'm afraid... but, defeating a Witch helps a lot of people... so, it's kinda worth it, right?"

She turned to Mami expectantly. The older girl's lip twitched almost imperceptibly as she forced herself to smile and nod, rather than admit her uncertainty.

She opened her eyes, and deliberately met Madoka's.

"Kaname-san... You'll be a pro before the Walpurgis Night..."

Homura left after bombarding Madoka with a final series of awkward questions.

Now washing and drying dishes together, a conversation that had been innocent enough at first quickly became something much more complicated.

"Akemi-san seemed... nice, didn't she?"

"Yes."

_Clank_

"I'm sure that... She's a... Potential, isn't she? That's why... How else could she have seen everything...?"

_Cling_

"...That's true."

Smiling widely, Madoka looked up at her partner.

"Do you think that maybe-"

_Clink_

"No, I don't think that would be... very wise. There are already too many of us in this area, as things stand."

Disappointed, the pink-haired girl returned to her dishes.

_Chink_

"Oh... Well, it's probably better that way, then... Still..." Madoka closed her eyes wistfully. "I think it was worth becoming a Magical Girl... If I could... protect more people like that."

_Cling_

Mami abruptly shut off the faucet and turned to face her.

"D-Did I... say something wrong...?"

"No, I..." Mami began, now drying her hands with a small towel. "Actually, I think I agree with you."

"Y-You do?" With a smile, the blonde yanked her startled partner into her arms.

_Shatter_

Grateful that the younger girl had already taken out her ribbons and pig-tails in preparation for bed, Mami buried her face in soft, pink hair.

"I'm... glad I got to save you."

* * *

><p>Madoka Kaname was a natural - no, a <em>prodigy<em>. That much was certain.

Just two weeks earlier, she and two other innocents had wandered deep into a deadly maze. At the time, she could only stare, paralyzed in terror, as her best friend was torn apart... as her essence was devoured by the Garden Witch's precious roses.

Back then, she could only cry out in agony as thorny vines - freshly stained red - wrapped around her remaining classmate and tore into fabric and flesh alike, with little effort; bravely, she'd clenched her teeth and tried not to scream as the same shears that ended Sayaka began cutting her to ribbons.

Mami couldn't remember how she had allowed Gertrud to become so bothersome... the sheer number of her minions had hindered her in getting to those girls.

In the end, the seconds the heroine wasted fighting to get past Familiars had been what killed the other two. Blades were mere inches from Madoka's jugular when Mami arrived; when the labyrinth disintegrated, there was no trace of Sayaka. Hitomi died sobbing in her friend's mangled, bloody arms.

Days later, a broken Madoka wished that she had the power to protect people.

Mami knew better than to blame herself for what happened; this sort of tragedy was not uncommon, and Magical Girls had to learn from their failures, if they themselves were to survive long enough to help others.

Now, the stunned gunslinger watched in awe, as the sky rained beautiful, pink beams of death upon the Dessert Witch.

Madoka's lethal shower of arrows easily wiped the area clean of most of Charlotte's familiars. Despite their apparent victory, she backpedaled in the air, presumably to get a better angle on the scene anyway; "Always better to be safe than sorry," she'd learned early on in her career, from none other than the blonde observing the battle from below.

Madoka wouldn't let it show until later, but more than anything else, she was seeking the older girl's approval.

The maze began to flicker. Reality came back into view, and Mami dropped her guard prematurely. Already smiling, she whistled and waved for the younger girl's attention. Madoka's body tensed in acknowledgment, and Mami realized that the maze hadn't truly disappeared...

This wasn't over yet.

First and foremost, Charlotte was a survivor. Playing dead, using decoys... Her tricks were just simple enough for many a seasoned Puella Magi to fall for.

Without warning, a second body - a massive, grotesque, caterpillar creature - rose with startling speed from the settling dust, dripping with frosting and blood. It fixed its hungry gaze on the distracted blonde's hair as _Yellow... Like cheese..._ registered in its limited awareness, and rushed towards her, mouth agape.

Mami, sensing the impending danger, tore her eyes away from the girl above her and raised a rifle. Calmly, she lined up her sights with the center of the foolishly impulsive Witch's forehead.

_...Too easy..._

Amber eyes locked with Charlotte's just as her index finger barely grazed the trigger... not nearly hard enough to fire. The playful, murderous intent in the Witch's stare was paralyzing. The Veteran froze, her knees betraying her and locking up in mid backwards step.

_...Oh my God..._

With the confidence and grace of one who'd had much longer than two weeks experience as a Puella Magi under her belt, Madoka landed in a defensive stance a few yards in front of Mami.

The monster stopped its approach abruptly, seemingly frozen in fear of the pinkette's glare in much the same way that Mami had been of Charlotte's, moments earlier.

Instantly regaining her composure, the Veteran Puella Magi smiled inwardly, and moved to join her junior, rifle still at the ready.

_Talk about close calls..._

All parties unwilling to be the one to make the next move and risk leaving themselves open, the three of them simply faced each other, still as statues.

Before long, Mami allowed her conscious attention to shift from her enemy to her ally.

With a sidelong glance, she took in her partner's every feature. Her softly toned muscles were relaxed, but more than ready to spring into action at a moments notice.

Her frame, although petite and still developing, was imposing... Mami found her Junior's posture and fierce expression strangely intimidating. Madoka had pulled her bowstring taut, with at least four arrows nocked at her fingertips. For an awful moment, the Veteran wondered what would happen if they became competitors for this territory in the future.

Maybe, she would stand a ghost of a chance if it happened while Madoka was still... Mami shook her head and pushed the thought away.

_Just who is this girl...?_

The monster licked her lips and grinned, determined to get some kind of meal out of this for her trouble. Rainbow eyes flitted from one girl to the other, undoubtedly imagining which one would taste better, and unable to decide who to try first.

Now drooling and panting excitedly, the witch closed her eyes. Her flower-nose twitched as she sniffed the air.

_...Smells like Yellow... Good... like cheeeese..._

It was obvious who she'd chosen, and although she tried to pretend like she wasn't about to make her move, her head tilted ever so slightly towards Mami.

Charlotte waited a few more seconds, letting her imagination fill with the taste of the blonde's head in her mouth. Her entire body tingling in anticipation.

Charlotte's eyes locked with Mami's again, effectively trapping her. Grin widening, the Witch shot forward.

Mami had been the one playing dirty, this time.

Although they hadn't wordlessly communicated any particular strategy, the Girls moved in unison at the last possible second, both seeing this as a chance to end things.

Before Charlotte could process that she'd been deceived, Mami lept from Madoka's side, onto the nearest platform, and raced to something the novice Magical Girl had been too preoccupied to notice earlier - the _real_ Charlotte.

Meanwhile, Madoka killed the Witch, over and over, ensuring that it would focus on her instead of Mami. After the tenth caterpillar spat out the eleventh, Madoka turned on her heels and ran away, inviting Charlotte to give chase. Enraged, and forgetting about cheese for the moment, she obliged.

As Mami drew closer to the real, defenseless body of the Witch, the decoy body was alerted to the danger. Its head flinched, then snapped to the side, its course of motion taking a seven-ten split.

Madoka fearlessly somersaulted over it's head, landing directly in its path. From there, she resumed destroying Charlotte's bodies as quickly as they came forth.

A resounding "Tiro Finale!" had both Madoka and Charlotte's heads snapping to the source of the sound.

Surely enough, Mami stood on the table in front of a smoldering, rapidly evaporating rag-doll.

Without looking back, Madoka fired a final arrow into the Caterpillar. The dimension collapsed.

Mami, teacup in hand, kicked the fresh Grief Seed over to Madoka, who bent over to collect it, and fainted, beaming.

* * *

><p>Madoka wouldn't cry... not in front of the defenseless girl she swore she'd protect.<p>

_Mami wouldn't have done that... no way._

She knelt beside her trembling classmate, but tried not to watch as she situated Mami's corpse in as dignified a manner as the heroine deserved. Homura had been around long enough to see the Veteran Puella Magi meet her end, just moments earlier.

It hadn't been pretty...

Mami had meant... more to Madoka than words could express... It was just like her to throw her life away, protecting the pinkette in her moment of distraction.

Even so, now was not the appropriate time, nor this the place, for the only surviving defender of Mitakihara to break down.

She would mourn her friend, mentor, and lover sometime later, regardless of whether or not she was still alive to do so.

Someone had to be strong enough for both of them.

"Well... Here I go..." She really didn't want to say goodbye yet... not like this. Although they had explicitly forbade her from making a contract, ever since they'd saved her from Izabel, Homura Akemi had gone to great lengths - often needlessly putting herself in danger - to support the famous Puella Magi Duo.

The girl had known that there was little she could really do to help them, and that she was more of a burden than anything else... Mami herself had made that abundantly clear. Still, she chose to follow Madoka (to the point of stalking her) everywhere, in the hopes that she could someday repay her for saving her life.

Above all, Madoka didn't trust herself to hold it together once she had to accept that she was likely to die.

"But...! Tomoe-san just... died..."

_There she goes again, stating the painfully obvious... _Madoka smiled, although the other girl didn't see, and a solitary tear escaped her closed eyelids.

In spite of her determination to keep up her heroic front, Madoka started tearing up. She stood and turned around, as gracefully as possible, so Akemi wouldn't see.

"That's why... Now I'm the only one left to face the Walpurgisnacht."

The tear rolled off her cheek, and the cool, dusty air dried her cheek.

She heard Homura come unhinged behind her, unwilling to accept Madoka's probable fate, and something inside her chest cracked, just a little.

"It's impossible! You can't win alone against that!"

_Why does she care for me... so much?_

"L-Let's run away! No one... No one would blame you..."

Madoka turned to face her, fully aware that it would be for the last time. She smiled.

"Homura-chan... Back when Mami-san and I made it in time to save you... I'm still proud of that."

Homura looked up at her, still shaking. More than anything, Madoka wanted to fall to her knees and comfort her. They didn't have the time for that, though.

"Goodbye... Homura-chan..." She took one last, lingering look at the girl she still hardly knew, who was crying so hard for her.

For a moment, she was tempted to take her offer.

* * *

><p><strong>2<strong>

Mami nearly laughed out loud watching Akemi fall. She whimpered pathetically as the blonde eased her down, only as gently as she had to.

The Veteran wasn't pretending that she liked the new girl, but if Madoka wanted them to work together, she would be civil.**  
><strong>

Homura looked bewildered, as if whatever she'd done during her time-stop was forgotten.

_God... What a ditz. _

"I did it...? I did it...!"

Without warning, the gunslinger retracted her ribbons.

_Big deal. We could've taken care of it without this weirdo...  
><em>

"You did it!" Madoka basically tackled the girl in an energetic embrace.

Mami's lip twitched in annoyance, and she looked away. They had just met this girl, still knew next to nothing about her, and already Mami felt like a third wheel around the two.

"Congratulations..." She offered, still feeling awkward.

"Amazing! You're amazing, Homura!"

_Whatever._ _It wasn't that special..._ _I did most of the work, anyway!_

Changing out of her Magical Girl outfit, Mami began walking away._  
><em>

"We shouldn't loiter here..."

"Oh... Right! Let's go celebrate, Homura-chan!"

Mami glanced back just in time to see Madoka take Akemi's hands in her own and help her up.

She didn't fail to notice that rather than letting go immediately, Madoka tightened her grip around one of Akemi's hands, and continued holding it as they took her home.

* * *

><p>"But... What? I don't under-"<p>

"That's right. You don't understand much of anything, do you?" The blonde snapped, nearly crushing a glass she was drying with her bare hands in her frustration.

Madoka opened her mouth to respond, but closed it right away. Where was all of this coming from, all of a sudden?

Mami didn't really mean to hurt her; she was sure that particular feeling was mutual.

They loved each other... at least, they definitely had when they were still the Puella Magi _Duo_.

It was just that Madoka didn't seem to 'love' Mami in the same way she seemed to love Akemi, now.

Then again... perhaps that was just her imagination. It wasn't like she'd started dating the weirdo or anything.

_Yet._..

"I... I'm sorry... Madoka, I didn't mean that..."

Still confused and hurt, the pink-haired girl didn't say anything more. She put her soaking wet plate back onto the counter, and moved to walk away.

"It's just that... you're so..._ heartless_..." She whispered.

Before she could think better of the impulse, Mami gently took her by a shoulder and pulled her back. She pressed the younger girl against her, earning an adorable, surprised squeak.

"W-What do you... mean...?" Madoka whispered into the blonde's neck. Both of her hands held the fabric sitting atop the older girl's collarbones in tight bunches.

Mami's fingertips, formerly stroking Madoka's jawline and ear, moved to her bottom lip, and slid up again to caress her flushed cheek. She leaned forward, slowly, and pushed an idle hand against the small of the younger girl's back.

"And... _oblivious_..."

Madoka stopped breathing.

Always the gentleman, Mami tenderly tilted Madoka's head upwards, forcing her to make eye contact. Faster than lightening, she pecked her on the nose.

The pink in the girl's cheeks couldn't get any deeper. Probably.

Mami raised an eyebrow, hints of a playful smile working its way onto her face.

"...Forgetting something?" Reading the confusion in Madoka's eyes, Mami took a deep, shuddering breath, and puffed out her cheeks instead of exhaling.

The way Mami scrunched up her eyebrows made Madoka giggle, take a deep breath automatically, and realize she'd been holding hers.

The blonde used her distraction to plant a kiss, lighter than air, on her burning cheek, and used her gasp to bring their lips together.

Mami smiled when she felt a small tremor shoot through the other girl's back, her heart fluttering in turn when Madoka wrapped her arms around her neck and deepened the kiss herself.

Pulling away was almost painful for her; Mami, both hands now wrapped around her partner's waist, tried to speak, but Madoka was leaning up and pulling Mami back down before she'd even taken a breath.

Now not even breaking for air, Mami marched Madoka backwards, out of the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Mami-san had died protecting her, again.<p>

Madoka poured all of her frustration and misery into her next attacks on Walpurgisnacht, unknowingly increasing their effectiveness exponentially with her suffering.

Now, Homura held Madoka as she writhed in agony.

Her Soul Gem, usually radiating with warmth and glowing a bright red, had grown as cold as it had black over the course of this single battle. Madoka hadn't noticed until it was too late.

It hurt to even hold it in her hand. In the back of her mind, Madoka wondered how such a small object could possibly be so heavy...

She wasn't aware of exactly when it happened, but some of the workings inside of her Soul Gem must have imploded.

"W-Why...?"

The thing in her hand was strange; unknown to her, but familiar. It was even heavier that her Soul Gem, at first.

With great effort, she lifted her palm to the sky and closed her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>3<strong>

"If I can have a say, I'm against teaming up with this girl."

Sayaka always had to have her way. It was annoying, but if Madoka wanted them to work with her, Mami could be civil.

For now, at least. After all, having four, possibly_ five_ Magical Girls work in a single area was unheard of. And for good reason: it wouldn't be long before they had to go their separate ways, or fight each other for this town.

Not that Mami had any personal vendetta's against the other girls, but she had been there first, and definitely for the longest. She'd leave on her own time, and they'd have to deal with it.

"Akemi-san, don't you have any other weapons?"

"Let me think about it..."

While Akemi went off and did... whatever it was... Madoka and Mami listened patiently to Sayaka as she ranted about her love life.

Kyou-whoever was really bothering her.

Madoka tried valiantly to console her friend, while Mami contemplated ways to murder her.

* * *

><p>Mami and the others were right there when Sayaka turned.<p>

She'd finally had enough of the blue-haired girl's immaturity, and decided that an intervention was in order.

The instant Madoka was out of earshot, leaving the two alone to talk to Homura privately, Mami was grabbing Sayaka by the shirt collar and slamming her against a wall.

Her teeth gnashing together in annoyance and bone-chilling glare freezing Sayaka in place, Mami tried to communicate her 'feelings' to Sayaka.

Sayaka had never seen the usually calm, well-mannered upperclassman behave in such a... brutish way.

"You do realize that you aren't the only one of us with problems?"

Sayaka opened her mouth and Mami tightened her grip, glare intensifying.

_Nod_

"Good. Do you also understand that it is no one's responsibility but your own to deal with your personal issues?"

_...Nod..._

"Are you sure...? Because it seems to me like you believe that Madoka is the one who should be up all night, tossing and turning because of what you've told her... I'm sick of it."

The girl started crying, and Mami, almost regretting that she'd said anything, let her go.

Mami walked a little ways away, and Kyouko appeared beside her out of nowhere.

"Well... that was harsh..." Kyouko winced before taking a bite out of an apple.

"She needed it." Mami replied, trying more to convince herself than anything. Kyouko frowned, but shrugged it off.

Madoka, returning from the direction of Homura's apartment, met up with the two.

The explosion of Sayaka's grief sent all of them to the floor.

"What was that...?"

They shared a glance, and broke out into a full-run back to where they'd left Sayaka.

The Witch's dimension threw them off completely.

* * *

><p>She'd had the entire battle to plan this out.<p>

Kyouko was borderline hysterical, Madoka on the verge of tears... Meanwhile, Mami was off to the side, completely uninvolved.

It wasn't very difficult to piece together what happened to Sayaka... and that the same fate awaited all of them.

A few wheels caught Madoka off-guard, and knocked her down.

More were coming her way, and Mami jumped up to shoot them down.

In a flash, those wheels burst into dust.

_Akemi..._

Only seconds later, Sayaka was caught in one of the random explosions she'd been so fearful of.

Mami would immobilize Homura first. Prevent her from stopping time...

Kyouko would probably have been the hardest to take care of under different circumstances, but she was easily the most shaken by Sayaka's... demise.

Yes. First, dispatch Akemi... then... Kyouko... then find Akemi's Soul Gem...

But...

Then there was Madoka...

Well.

She could never...

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

I don't consider myself a Mami/Madoka fan... at all. This is probably one of my weaker stories; I don't really think that I wrote her character correctly all the way through in this...

*shrug*

This is a three-shot in progress, with each respective chapter exploring a different pairing. Next chapter: HomuKyou


	2. Stay On the Ground

_Heart racing, Homura Akemi wakes and turns to look at the calender by her bedside. _

March 16th.

_"The last 'first day of the rest of my life.' I thought it'd feel more spectacular."_

_Her hand shoots to her calf beneath the sheets. No longer crushed._

_She stands. Stretches. Walks over to the bathroom. Her double-vision is blurred with tears as she looks herself in the eyes._

_Bloodshot. _

_She blinks. She leaves the hospital; not a single form signed, nor a single word spoken._

_There is no longer a Madoka Kaname she can protect; consequently, there is no longer a reason for Homura Akemi's continued existence._

_She expects herself to think that. But, she surprises herself, and allows her aching heart to believe a little differently._

_She makes her way to her empty, lonely apartment. _

Akemi Homura.

_"That hasn't changed, then."_

_Once inside, she pulls out her Soul Gem. The familiar, brilliant violet cheerfully greets her listless eyes. _

_A flash. _

_She pulls it to her chest. _

_Another one. _

_She tosses it aside.  
><em>

_Immediately, she begins compiling statistics; writing down everything she'd learned, as she'd been forced to do every time she began the repeat._

_Lest she forget.  
><em>

_She'd barely gotten started on Madoka's latest wish when she passed out._

March 17th.

_Heart racing, Homura wakes on the floor, sprawled atop masses of paper. She wipes the tears away and neatly arranges each sheet into a stack that reaches her shin.  
><em>

_She picks up her pen and reaches for another sheet to continue; she changes her mind halfway down the 20th page when her 5th pen dies on her.  
><em>

_Organizing all of this information could wait - it was so burned into her memory by now that there was no way she'd forget a single detail - but, who knew what could be happening in the world outside of her apartment? _

_Homura, suddenly mindful of the implications that came with being unable to manipulate every variable, and unaccustomed to living in an environment she did not control, begins her exploration of the New Universe._

_She steps outside and passes out on a sidewalk, from hunger or fatigue, or any number of the ways she'd neglected herself since leaving the hospital.  
><em>

March 18th.

_Heart racing and head spinning, Homura wakes in the pouring rain. She heaves and vomits blood and bile. She wipes the tears away and stands. _

_She stumbles back inside, and collapses in the kitchen. In spite of her weakness, she manages to use a counter to pull herself up. _

_She opens cabinet after cabinet and finds all vacant, save the one with the live Black Widow._

_The doctors had been wary of allowing her to eat solid food. She curses them, now._

_She staggers over to the pantry and flings it open.  
><em>

_A pathetic noise escapes her. _

_She finds a single can of Lima beans, which she somehow pries open with a butter knife. _

_She feels something on her hand. Looks down to see a Brown Recluse crawling there, and throws the can to the side as her hand tries to shake the evil thing off reflexively._

_The can's contents spill all over the dusty tile, and the spider scurries away, unharmed.  
><em>

_Ah well.  
><em>

_She hates Lima beans anyway._

March 19th

_The resolve she needed to get going seems to have condensed from nothing. _

_You can do better than this.   
><em>

_One moment, she was laying on the floor playing with Madoka's ribbon, delirious, and the next, she was up and moving._

_I know you can.  
><em>

_She ventures outside, and promptly encounters her first "demon." _

_Homura hadn't bothered to transform prior to that. She'd been so used to how her powers worked, and so confident in her ability to use them at maximum efficiency, the thought had never occurred to her that something might be... _

_Different.  
><em>

Heart racing and eyes wide, Homura Akemi wakes, fully.

* * *

><p>Kyouko smirked as only Kyouko could.<p>

Her first legitimate challenger since becoming a Puella Magi, although somewhat troublesome, had proven to be a worthwhile opponent.

Using a fist, she wiped away some of the blood pooling at the corner of her lip and pushed off her left knee to a standing position.

"I think I've just about got you pegged." She turned her head and spat, but her eyes didn't dare leave the other girl.

"Is that so...?" The mysterious stranger didn't seem to be taking her enemy very seriously. An idle hand found its way to long, dark hair, and tossed it carelessly over a shoulder. She sighed, and directed her gaze to the night sky above them.

She was circling her, now. Sizing up the competition, analyzing her body language. Strategizing. The redhead would have to know a bit more about her opponent's special ability (say for instance, what the fuck it even WAS) before she could hope to counter it effectively.

Faster than her eyes could follow, the newcomer attacked. The redhead jumped backwards into the air to dodge, and had to twist awkwardly to narrowly avoid the next flurry of shots.

_Was that... a bow...? Heh, I guess it doesn't even matter. Looks like I'll have to do things the old-fashioned way.  
><em>

Kyouko retracted her segmented spear, and threw it as hard as she could, managing to surprise the girl. She'd sidestepped just in time to evade it but wasn't quite agile enough to escape Kyouko in close-quarters.

_Didn't expect me to let go of my precious spear, didja? So you must think you know a little something-something about me..._

Finding an opening, she threw a left-handed jab that effortlessly connected with the girl's ribcage; Kyouko smirked in satisfaction as she felt her flinch in pain.

"Not so good hand-to-hand, hmm?" She teased, earning a pointed, fiery glare from her rival, who suddenly stopped retreating and entered a defensive stance.

"Who, you?"

"Heh. You sure you wanna go there? I won't play fair."_  
><em>

The grim determination in her indigo eyes was answer enough.

Grinning, the redhead ripped her spear from the ground and charged._  
><em>

* * *

><p>Surprisingly enough, this final timeline was the first in which she and Kyouko had clashed like this.<p>

Homura suppressed the urge to giggle at the spear-wielder's crazed expression.

_The whole universe gets reformatted and she's still the same goofball-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by maniacal laughter, followed by a swift kick in her aching ribcage - which had quickly become the target of all attacks.

Frowning, Homura tried to remember what made her unwilling to play to her own strengths in this fight.

_...All I really need is to put a few yards between us...  
><em>

Again and again, the former time-traveler ducked and dodged, and slipped just out of reach, only to double back and throw half-hearted punches, and somehow only succeeding in constantly leaving herself open.

_But... I don't really want to hurt her..._

"What's your problem...?" Kyouko hissed, out of breath and more than a little annoyed; no matter how much ground she seemed to gain, how many hits she landed, Homura seemed virtually unaffected.

"Throwing your advantage away like that..." A roundhouse kick to the chest sent Homura flying backwards to the ground. The harsh landing knocked the wind out of her, and she barely scrambled to her feet in time to avoid being impaled.

"For what? Just felt like getting your pretty little ass handed to you tonight?"

Reminded that distance between them would spell disaster, Kyouko rushed forward and tackled her opponent, pinning her arms down on either side of her head.

A small smile tugged at Homura's lips as she recalled things no one else ever would.

"Something like that..." She whispered.

* * *

><p>Homura remembered the first time they really met. Hell of a first impression.<p>

_Kyouko had been tracking this particular Witch for weeks. She'd never come across one with this sort of personality before._

_It seemed that, without exception, it fled every time a Puella Magi entered its domain. Immediately, never any questions asked. Just up and ran._

_"What a pain in the ass."  
><em>

_Kyouko, seeing the danger in allowing a Witch like that to do as it pleased, decided to get rid of it herself; problem was, this witch carried with her a theme that was particularly nostalgic for the redhead._

_She immediately recognized the unique, rotating swirl of the Grief Seed embedded in the outer wall of her town's sole mental institution._

_Knowing from experience that time was of the essence, she raced inside and reached the center of the Coward Witch's lair in under 30 seconds._

_"New record... Heh."_

_This time, the interior of Vesta's barrier was specifically likened unto one of the hell-holes Kyouko and her family found themselves in during a rough patch._

_The air, thick with the smell of rust, and rot mingled with burning flesh, was all too familiar._

_The creak of decaying wood beneath her chilled her blood and stiffened her bones._

_Completely ignoring the minions - tiny, giggling balls of ash accompanied by perpetually glowing embers - Kyouko started up her finishing move._

_"Alright... No hesitating this time...!" _

_She took a single second to aim at the Witch herself and blinked in amazement._

_High above her, Vesta, a grotesque mash-up of partially scorched family photographs, suddenly burst aflame._

_She heard it scream in high-pitched agony, and watched as it imploded. The massive shock wave that followed threw Kyouko into a wall that promptly returned to its original function as part of the institution._

_The rest of the dimension fell apart, and for once, the redhead was at a loss._

_"The hell...?"_

_Unsure of what to expect next, she scrambled to her feet and scoured every inch of the area with her eyes, ready to kill anything that moved._

_Inexplicably, a tall, dark-haired girl appeared, from thin air, directly beneath the scaffold the Witch had hovered above._

"Hey!" _Kyouko called out, wanting answers more than a fight._ "Who the heck are you?"

_The mysterious girl wore what looked to be a Magical Girl outfit._

_Casually, the girl turned her back to Kyouko and knelt to pick up the Grief Seed._

_The redhead's fist tightened around her spear._

_"Does she really think she can just kill my Witch, take my Grief Seed, ignore me like this shit happens all the time, and expect me to play along? Like hell..."_

_Kyouko broke out into a silent run, approaching the girl from her left flank. There was less than ten yards separating her from the crouched Magical Girl when she lept into the air and raised her spear to throw. The girl stood and turned to face her._

_Their eyes met, but for a moment, and the dark-haired girl vanished as abruptly as she appeared.  
><em>

_Startled, but deducing that she might just be able to become invisible, Kyouko extended and spun her spear, sweeping the area in - tight first, then wide - circles at incredible speeds._

_She wasn't exactly a master of Geometry, but this particular attack ensured that every square inch of whatever space she happened to occupy would be struck at least once with the tip of her spear. _

_She only felt air._

_"Maybe... She can teleport...?"_

_Kyouko scurried outside. No time to waste._

_As expected, the mysterious girl was calmly walking down the sidewalk, away from the building, her Puella Magi outfit exchanged for a school uniform._

_Homura hadn't wanted to use any more magic than was absolutely necessary, and deemed escaping from Kyouko a waste of energy._

_"How insulting."  
><em>

_Now snarling, Kyouko changed back to normal and ran to catch up to the stranger. She grabbed her by a shoulder with one hand, digging her fingers as deeply as she could, causing the girl to stop._

"HEY! This is my freakin' territory, and I don't know who the hell you think you are, but-

_Homura turned her head to meet Kyouko's bright eyes with her own dark, lifeless ones. _

"I apologize for my intrusion. It won't happen again." _  
><em>

_Kyouko flinched._

_She knew that look._

_There was something more than that, though._

_She knew this girl.  
><em>

_Homura resumed walking, the redhead now in tow._

"Well, while you're feeling 'oh-so remorseful,' maybe you should-"

"I need it."

"No shit. Now, see here-"

_Without warning, Homura stopped again, and Kyouko bumped right into her from behind._

"Fuck! What are you-"

"Why are you still following me...?"

_Homura wasn't even looking at her. _

"Uhhh, obviously I want my fucking Grief Seed back. That was _my_ Grief Seed..."

_Kyouko tried to sound intimidating, but was too taken aback by the dark-haired girl's attitude for her tone to pull it off._

"And you are expecting me to politely hand it over?"

_Homura flipped her hair over her shoulder, her casual indifference infuriating the redhead._

"Listen bitch, I'll shove your face into this fucking sidewalk and-"

"You could try."

_Homura resumed walking, but Kyouko stood frozen in place, completely nonplussed._

* * *

><p>She remembered the first - somewhat - friendly moment they shared.<p>

_Homura awoke to the smell of stale laundry and rancid milk pervading her senses._

_Barely resisting the urge to shoot out of bed and vomit, perhaps alarming whoever had brought her here, she kept her breathing relaxed and regular, automatically taking a mental inventory of her surroundings._

_"No one else here..."_

_Ignoring her nausea, Homura sat up straight and removed the grungy blankets from her body as carefully as she could manage. Her inhuman eyes instantly adjusted to the pitch darkness and scanned every inch of the tiny room._

_The obvious questions came to mind. She registered with some irritation that her internal clock seemed to have come unhinged completely._

_The last thing she could clearly remember was tracking down and eliminating a Witch... but, that hunt had gone routinely._

_She was about to stand and stretch out her sore muscles when she noticed the dingy bandages covering her left shoulder and torso. A draft of cool air reaching her bare midsection alerted her to her lack of clothing._

_She bent over to tear a particularly nasty-looking strip of gauze away from her calf and hissed in surprise. A few brave fingers gingerly brushed her side and came away warm and sticky. Looking further down her hand, she spotted medical tape bound painfully tight around her wrist._

_Tentative prods here and there indicated that her wounds were somewhat fresh, intensely painful, and susceptible to reopening with only the slightest of movement._

_The room was spinning out of control, but she endured her discomfort enough to drag herself over to the single window. Pushing the blinds aside, she peered out onto a balcony much bigger than the nearly empty room. _

_Strange. There was only one door, and that led into a half-bathroom._

"Hey! The hell are you doing up and moving already?"

_Startled, Homura whirled around too suddenly and collapsed before she even laid eyes on the owner of the voice. Writhing in pain and nearly puking from the dizziness alone, she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth._

"Shit... You're so goddamn fragile..." Someone muttered gruffly.

_She wanted to ask a thousand questions, but could only open and close her mouth uselessly.  
><em>

_She was vaguely aware of the crunch of a paper bag as it hit the floor, and groaned as she was roughly picked up and dropped like a sack back onto the bed._

"Stay there." _The voice, now cold, commanded. Homura didn't have to be told; there was no way she was getting up on her own again in her condition._

_Homura snapped to attention instinctively when she felt a presence closing in on her. Her eyes fluttered open, and fixed on the crimson hair of a girl her age. She watched as the girl fumbled with an armful of medical supplies while she approached the bed, somehow separating sprays and antibiotics into one arm, and bandages and gauze in the other without dropping a single thing._

"W-Who... Where...?" _Homura rasped, as various items were placed near her feet. Gripping her now-profusely-bleeding shoulder, the dark-haired girl tried to sit up._

_"I... know her..." Her memory was fuzzy, but she could feel something painfully familiar about this person. _

_"We never really spoke, but I know her."  
><em>

_A switchblade materialized in the girl's hand; she pressed the tip into Homura's chest, just above her bandages._

"Your mother. Does it matter? Shut up and sit the fuck back."

_Homura complied, falling back without another word. The redhead shifted closer and carefully cut the bloodstained cloth from Homura's shoulder._

_The cool air shocked her fevered skin, eliciting a small gasp from the weary girl; immediately, a dampened rag was gently dabbed on and around the injury._

"Alright, Princess... This might sting a bit."_ Biting a lip, Homura cracked open her eyes to watch as the other girl brought one of the disinfectant sprays inches away from her skin._

_The dark-haired girl squirmed but didn't protest. She decided on swarming this girl with questions the instant she finished dressing her wounds._

_No longer sneering, the nameless redhead wrapped a fresh bandage tightly around her shoulder._

"Don't go moving around again and screwing these up... this kind of crap is hard to come by." _She lectured, positioning her knife back in the center of Homura's chest._

"Or else... what? You'll... cut me?"_ She glowered up at the stranger, eyebrow raised in defiance although she felt incredibly light-headed..._

_Scarlet eyes narrowed, and Homura could tell this girl was struggling not to do exactly that._

"Whatever," _The redhead smirked, her canines seeming more like fangs than anything else._ "Moving on."

_Without breaking eye contact, she slashed open the chest portion of Homura's bandages. She congratulated herself inwardly at the sight of the girl's expression, and repeated the same process as earlier. _

_It was a bad burn, at least a third degree. _

_In any case, the street urchin had neither the skill nor the equipment necessary to treat it properly, so she made do with common sense and whatever she could get her hands on._

"So, what's your name, Princess?" She asked, trying to distract the flushed, wincing girl from what had to have been agonizing.

"A-_Ah_... Akemi... Ho... mura..."_ She whispered. Homura clenched and unclenched her fists around the sheets, arching her back a few inches off the bed occasionally. She gasped sharply as the other girl moved to her side._

"Cool." _Another painfully familiar smirk._ "Busy this weekend?"

_Homura looked her in the eyes, suddenly all business._

"I've really no idea... Sakura... Kyouko..."

_The redhead froze, toothy grin giving way to an icy glare. The switchblade was back, pressed against her jugular in an instant._

"How... the _fuck..._"_  
><em>

"R-Relax... We've... met before, is all."

_The searing pain was getting to her now, and Homura allowed her eyes to flicker shut. _

_Kyouko's cold stare lingered on the dark-haired girl's face for a moment longer. She resumed working on her side without a word._

"You... she... I couldn't..." _Homura remembered. How long ago had that happened...? She squirmed in agony, both physical and mental. The memory still brought tears to her eyes._

"...couldn't do... anything..."_  
><em>

"Yeah, okay. Whatever. Just shuddup and hold still for a sec."

_That hunt hadn't gone routinely... at all. _

_Homura had been trying to make sense of a string of new information she'd stumbled across_ _- her distraction led to disaster in her battle with Vesta. _

_Even the master of time - as far as half of March and April was concerned - made mistakes occasionally.  
><em>

_Kyouko had been there and finished the witch herself. Her inability to destroy her before then left the redhead feeling partially responsible, and she took pity on the other Magical Girl_, _stupid as she was for interfering at all._

"Alright," _Kyouko clapped her hands together and grinned in satisfaction._ "All done!"

_Homura couldn't help but smile back as a lollipop was shoved in her face. _

_The only timeline in which she had personally interacted with this girl ended horribly. That had also been the last one in which Homura attempted to connect with any of the other Puella Magi, even keeping her contact with Madoka to a bare minimum.  
><em>

_But, what they all had together, although brief, had been special._

_"It was so cute when you and Miki-san finally started 'getting along...' you were really perfect for each other."_

"What's with that look?" _Kyouko asked, a little freaked out by the way this girl was staring at her._

"It's nothing..." _Homura closed her eyes and lay back, smiling sincerely for the first time in far too long._

* * *

><p>"KYOUKO! What the heck are you doing?"<p>

The distinct _crack_ of Homura's head as it was repeatedly punched into a sidewalk rang out in the empty city street.

"That depends," _Crack_. Groan. "What's it look like?"

Mami ran forward and transformed. Within seconds a flintlock was pressed to the redhead's temple, much to her agitation.

Kyouko, pretending to ignore their present company, pulled her fist back again, just to piss her off.

Homura, registering the familiar voice, opened a blackened eye.

"Back off already," The blonde warned. "Before I back you off."

"You know these two?" Another familiar voice chimed in, and Homura smirked, in spite of herself.

"Just this one, unfortunately..." Mami sighed as Kyouko rubbed Homura's nose in the ground, like a ten-year old bully would on a playground.

She finally stood and moved away, grumbling to herself.

"Is she always such a... well, _complete bitch_?"

"Sayaka! Language!" Mami seemed genuinely appalled. Kyouko snorted.

"Sorry! It just seems like-"

"Well, fuck you, too..." Kyouko sneered playfully. She pulled out a stick of pocky from thin air and twirled it between her fingers.

"Yes... Always... "

They all looked down at the smirking girl on the floor, whose long dark hair was soaked in sweat and blood.

Mami helped her up, as Sayaka and Kyouko began bickering like a married couple.

"Do I even have to ask what happened?" The veteran spat at the redhead, suddenly interrupting her increasingly volatile argument with the blunette.

"Nope!" She replied, grinning almost proudly.

Now leaning against Mami and gripping her throbbing side with one hand, while trying to stanch the steady flow of blood from her nose with the other, Homura choked out a gentle, gasping chuckle.

Three utterly confused heads snapped towards her. What kind of lunatic would be laughing after a beating like that?

"...Madoka..." She muttered softly, looking up to the sky with closed eyes. At the mention of that name, the others strained to hear as she continued.

There was something undeniably nostalgic about it... something captivating... mesmerizing.

"They... might not understand exactly what you've done, or..." Voice hoarse, she swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed on.

"Or even... ever truly appreciate it... But I always will. I'll never forget you..."

"...Mami... who did you say this girl was...?"

"Uhm... I don't know her... Or at least I... I... don't think... so..."

The heck was this feeling...?

* * *

><p>Homura actually came to...<em> like<em> Sayaka Miki, for a change.

She gave the girl a chance; her determination to do the right thing, no matter what the cost to herself... her stubborn selflessness...

Sometimes, she reminded her of Madoka more than anything else.

The four of them always sat together on the roof of the School, sharing their lunches and laughing like close friends would.

The oldest two of the group had to leave early, their lunch times ending before the others. Mami and Kyouko waved their goodbyes, and left, both smiling.

"That ribbon..." The blunette commented casually, but chose her words carefully. "I noticed that it kind of clashes with your style, but... it actually suits you at the same time. It's really quite adorable."

"Thank you... I..." Homura paused, gripping her skirt to help her search for the right words.

"It isn't yours, is it..." It wasn't really a question. Sayaka stood, and walked over to the chain-link fence. She laced her fingers through some of the holes, and looked out over the city they protected.

"N-No... I... S-She..." Homura's voice broke and she trailed off quietly. She looked up to the sky, smiling bitterly.

There was that stutter again. Another painful reminder of Madoka. She removed the ribbon from her hair, and stroked it tenderly, desiring more than anything that she possessed something more than this simple piece of fabric to feel Madoka with.

Even so, it meant more to her than her own life. She clung to it at night when she cried, holding it as closely and delicately as she would have held its owner, had she the chance.

"It's okay, you don't have to say." Sayaka looked back at her friend, but looked away again once she saw the tears.

Homura nodded, unable to speak. She tied the ribbon back in place, and stood, although shaking gently.

Without another word, Sayaka returned to her side and pulled the taller girl into a hug, which she returned wholeheartedly, surprising both of them.

* * *

><p>"So what would<em> she<em>... think about _this_...?"

Kyouko tensed. The question must have hurt her friend more than she could possibly understand... But it couldn't have been avoided.

And she wanted to know.

"I... I'm not exactly sure. I think... I'll ask... someday."

She exhaled a held breath. Good. Honest. She doesn't feel guilty, then.

Homura closed her eyes. She was cuddled up against the redhead on a couch in Mami's apartment.

Kyouko, having moved in with the blonde shortly after they all met Homura, invited her over purely out of concern; she'd seemed to be getting more and more distant as the days went by.

It wasn't any mystery why.

Three years after Sayaka's death, and Kyouko had only grown _more_ cognizant of the stubborn heroine's absence.

The same must have been true of Homura, and her precious "Madoka." The other girls tried not to ask her about it; as curious as they were, they quickly realized that an answer to their invasive questions wasn't nearly worth the pain it obviously put their friend through.

Now, more than simply trying to take refuge in each others arms, these two had come to genuinely _need_ each other.

Kyouko didn't try to comfort the girl in her lap. That was beyond impossible, for one thing.

She was simply _there_ for her.

A solid, breathing body.

A steady, beating heart.

Everything that Homura wished so desperately to hold on to.

The feeling was easily reciprocated.

Silently sobbing, Homura buried her face deeply into the base of Kyouko's neck, not quite thinking straight and not quite caring anymore.

Eyes tightly shut, and tears still streaming down, Homura's fingers found the redhead's cheeks.

Her touch was impossibly gentle; she treated the other girl's skin as if it had been crafted with priceless porcelain.

Her nose brushed lightly against Kyouko's collarbone, soft as a feather, and her next breath died in her chest.

This was dishonest.

But, well, it wasn't really. These feelings were as real, and as tangible as anything could possibly be.

Kyouko closed her eyes, too. Resumed breathing.

The same nose, moving upwards, now 'accidentally' brushed up against her lips, and Kyouko kissed it playfully, smiling faintly.

Homura floated away; she was somewhere else, with someone else.

Who could blame her?

She brought her forehead down to rest against Madoka's shoulder, allowing the last of her tears to fall away unchallenged.

She shivered as strong arms wrapped protectively around her waist.

"I miss you... so much..." She whispered lamely, hoping that those words could somehow sum up the depth of her feelings.

"I know... I'm sorry."

The distance between them closed, finally, and Homura's entire being went limp, her world spinning, her perception of everything but the girl holding her dulled to virtual nonexistence.

They broke this kiss, but never the embrace; each girl afraid that her lover would vanish from reality completely once they let go.

Which was entirely true.

Kyouko brushed a few stray hairs away from Sayaka's beautiful blue eyes.

"I should never have... waited... until... until you were gone, to tell you..." She looked away, her voice beginning to crack, ashamed.

"Shhh... It's alright... I..." Homura shook her head, smiling sadly. "I made the same mistake... It's so... ironic, it's almost funny..." She kissed away a single tear creeping down Madoka's perfect, innocent cheek.

Kyouko smiled back. There she goes again, comforting someone else when she probably needed comforting herself.

She hugged Sayaka tighter, drew her impossibly nearer, wanting desperately to protect her from everything.

Homura sighed, her arms wrapping around Madoka's neck. How had she ever believed she could be strong enough to protect someone like Madoka?

She buried her head deeply into her Everything's chest again, and bit into her shirt, quietly trying to hold back tears.

"I'm still... I'm still so weak..." Homura choked out, unwilling and unable to look back into those piercing, rose-colored eyes.

Madoka patted Homura's head reassuringly as Kyouko patted Sayaka's. They spoke at once, as one.

"Don't worry... I'll always be there for you... Strong enough for both of us." She smiled, and kissed the top of her partner's head.

Homura looked up at Madoka, her tears mysteriously evaporating, and grinned. Genuinely _grinned_.

Kyouko looked down at Sayaka, smiling back, but soon turned away, suddenly feeling bashful and self-conscious about her confession.

Homura raised an eyebrow, grin widening impossibly. She leaned up and pecked Madoka on the forehead, then chuckled at the girl's expression and settled back down.

"Hey!" Kyouko giggled, fake-frowning, causing Sayaka to laugh even harder.

Madoka blushed and looked away once more before Homura caught her by the cheeks and pulled her into a passionate, open-mouthed kiss.

Kyouko pulled away, wanting to look into Sayaka's eyes. She saw what she'd always wanted to see there, and leaned back down.

Sayaka bit Kyouko's lower lip, surprising the redhead. Kyouko _eeped_, and lurched forward a bit, accidentally bumping foreheads with her.

Blushing furiously now, Madoka gingerly touched a few fingers to her throbbing lip and looked everywhere that wasn't Homura's eyes.

Homura cupped Madoka's cheek and brushed her thumb against it in a silent apology. Madoka smiled sweetly, and leaned back down to kiss her.

Surprising herself as much as her partner, Sayaka parted Kyouko's lips with her own.

Madoka gasped, and a smirking Homura deepened the kiss further.

This was more than 'nice.'

Kyouko ran her hands through Sayaka's hair, amazed by how soft it was, while Homura's hands swept up and down Madoka's back, sides, stomach, chest, and finally came to rest against her neck.

This was what they'd needed and been denied, by some cruel, 'higher power.'

Eventually, the kissing lessened in desperation and intensity, and tapered off into a tender affection they shared with lips and fingertips.

The illusion wasn't a permanent one, however.

Kyouko, cheeks wet, looked down at the vulnerable girl now crying into her chest and clinging to her for dear life.

Slowly, carefully, she pulled them apart, and ever-so-gently tilted her chin upwards.

Homura sniffled but didn't dare open her eyes again, afraid of who she might see... who she might _not_ see.

"Hey now..." Kyouko whispered, her voice edging dangerously close to 'broken.' She gently stroked the girl's bottom lip, and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead in reassurance.

"Don't," Homura mumbled, not caring how selfish she was being. "Please...? Don't leave..."

"Never... I love you."

* * *

><p>Mami had gotten out of bed for a glass of water.<p>

She watched the entire exchange until it became unbearable, even for her.

Eventually, Homura fell asleep, and Kyouko tried to untangle their bodies without waking her so that she could go to the bathroom.

She noticed Mami's presence, but couldn't meet her friend's eyes.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about..." Mami commented as the redhead brushed past. "You... needed that. Both of you."

Kyouko simply nodded and continued on.

She washed her face and forgot why she got up in the first place.

She wasn't going to dwell on it, because they weren't going to talk about it.

They never had, and they never would.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

Delayed posting this and others because of the airing of the final two episodes: a lot of changes were made so that the stories might mesh a little better with the actual series.


End file.
